Stepping out of my boat...

2012 is bringing new opportunities to strengthen and expand our work in South Sudan. It is both exciting and daunting – but first let me give a little bit of background…

I commenced in ministry at Magill Church of Christ in the eastern suburbs of Adelaide in 2003. Mid way through the following year I was asked if our church would sponsor a refugee family from Sudan. 

This was my first involvement with the Sudanese community, but within a few years I had developed a significant role amongst the Sudanese in Adelaide, including establishing the United Sudanese Fellowship, and then travelling to Sudan in 2008 to explore the possibility of commencing a mission partnership. My partner and friend throughout this work has been Rev Joseph Mawien.

Global Mission Partners was quick to approve a partnership with South Sudan and this provided access to the steadily growing support of Churches of Christ throughout Australia. And so, from a small start just a few years ago, we have been able to establish some very basic projects which are making a dramatic difference to some of the most vulnerable people in war-torn South Sudan.

Until now I have worked in a voluntary capacity as GMP’s Sudan Program Director. I have used my annual leave and long service leave to make the trips and my weekends and other spare time to coordinate the ongoing work.  In addition, I was privileged to have the opportunity to establish another mission partnership in Bangladesh. It became very evident that I couldn’t maintain this workload at the same time as having the challenging role of being Minister of a thriving church. So, a few months ago I informed the leaders of my church that I would resign and that I would be devoting my time to the missions in South Sudan and Bangladesh. Next Sunday will be my final service and farewell. There is a lot of grief in leaving, but God has opened a door of opportunity to do more in an area of great need.

While my plans aren’t concrete, I plan to leave in March and return in December, spending most of the year in South Sudan as well as some time in Bangladesh and a few short breaks in other places. The main goals will be to strengthen the work that has already been established and to explore some new proposals including two new regions – a program providing for orphans living on the streets of Nassir (Upper Nile State) and an integrated project that includes agriculture, community development and spiritual care in Lainya County (Central Equatoria). There are other projects to explore where we are already working in Northern Bahr Al Ghazal including a girl’s school in Aweil East, a clinic in Aweil North, and support for liberated slaves.

I am constantly amazed at what has grown from a simple decision to sponsor one family of refugees. Now I sense God calling me to sail out of my safe harbour to assist those whose need is greatest.

(Please send me an email if you would like to participate in this expanding mission.)

Photo: With Rev Joseph Mawien, his mother Adut and sister Achol. Aweil 2008

A report from Joseph...

It's our last day in Sudan. Tomorrow Joseph and I commence our way home. Here is Joseph's review of our time in Sudan...

We arrived in Juba on 31st December 2009. Juba is the seat of government of South Sudan whereby the temperature is fairly high - politically and naturally. It is the eve of campaigns for the national election, electing the state legislative assembly and national assembly. This is the first step of democratization since the military Junta in Khartoum took the government for the last 30 years. Juba has changed in terms of development which is going in high gear, but also has contradictions - the realities of government bureaucracy and some embezzlement of a few corrupt figures that is the reality of African or third world governments.

We left Juba after some few days to Wau which is the capital of Bahr Al Ghazel region. It reminds me of my childhood days. This is a place where I studied my primary school and junior primary school. And also it reminds me of my exit point when I left Sudan on November 24, 1983. All these memories come back in mind when we landed in Wau airport, but I can see new settlement and peace will become reality. There is also a reflection in my mind from a saying of our late hero Dr John Garang DeMabour when he said “I had sworn an oath for peace which is in your hands and now it is yours. Own it and treasure it.”

Then we travelled to Aweil, capital of Northern Bahr Al Ghazel state where we spent most of our time and started our mission. This time our mission covered four counties – Aweil Centre, Aweil South, Aweil West and Aweil North. In our visit to Aweil South with Church of Christ leaders we encountered a few things which delight our heart in terms of the ministry which have really grown since we left the area the last 18 months. They have done a great deal in terms of their hospital and their vision for Bible college and core workers for the ministry. These are the soldiers of Christ’s mission and their enthusiasm to preach the word of God and change their own people into the Kingdom of God on earth and in Heaven.

Meeting with one of the ministers, Pastor Paulino Malou, and sharing his vision towards the orphan children, in his heart burns fire to do something towards it. These are the backbone of the future for this community which have been marginalised and look as outcasts of the community. We have explored a lot of opportunities and ask God to open doors for this calling.

In our visit to Marialbai in Aweil West we have faced a lot of challenges – some put us in tears and some delight our hearts for what God has just given us in this mission. It is an area which has been destroyed in the last 40 years of civil war between north and south. This region of Ayat is between the border of North and South Sudan and they have lost many lives, women and children and some have been abducted to be slaves for their masters in the north. And also, it was people from this region where God has just called Steve to start his contact with Sudanese families in Adelaide. We met many of their brothers, sisters and mothers. When sitting down with the Chief Makuei Dit (Riiny Riiny Lual) he is in my age, but when we sat down together he looked older – more than 20 years than me, because of the heavy load of his own people on his shoulder. I began to reflect back when we were young and now time just passes by in these circumstances of life. His 10 brothers sacrificed their lives for this cause of the struggle. Among them the Major General Lual Riiny Riiny Lual is one of the founders of the movement. We stood by his grave for a moment and said a prayer. Half of his family live in Adelaide and half live in Marialbai. We heard many stories about great challenges regarding health and abductees and the orphans. The story of the abductees is horrifying. Some are made as sex slaves, some are still retained by their masters in the north, some have been killed through raping and torturing. Approximately they say there is about 40,000 but about 5000 have been released. We are given a portion of land in Ayat region for our mission. We ask God to help the call to start this mission as soon as God has put in the heart of our brothers and sisters in Australia.

Travelling to Gok Machar, Aweil North, to see IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) and Darfurians, the local authorities couldn’t facilitate our request to see and visit these areas. This is the area mostly Rev Angelo and his team minister to Darfuri refugees. Their ministry assists the Darfurians with medications and food and other care.

Finally, we are back to Juba, reflecting on our mission. We see that God has just opened doors in so many ways, and we are asking our friends and brothers to pray and give whatever God has just asked them to give for this mission.

Joseph at the grave of Dr John Garang

From Joseph...

Out mission to northern Bahr El Ghazel, Aweil, started on 13 June 2008, in Juba capital of the seat of government of Southern Sudan where we met with government officials as well as in Aweil with community leaders which has been successful.

Next Monday, 7th July we will be flying back to Juba and staying two days and then we leave Juba Wednesday afternoon on our way to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. We will stay for a few days then I will leave to Australia and Pastor Steve wil spend some few weeks on his holiday until the end of August and he will join us in Adelaide.

Our discussion and deliberation with The Governor, The Deputy Governor and the Minister for Social Development, Culture and Sport have really paid back in fruitful outcome. In the grassroot level we have explored windows of opportunities and also the local community leaders of COC pastors and church workers and we have encountered Episcopal Church of Sudan pastor who is working amongst the refugees from Darfur. A positive relationship. This gave us a clear vision and a link with these groups.

We believe these have given us an opportunity to say we have created partnerships with them. And we have planted a seed which might last for a few years. Our mission has been so good and successful, but not you might think a road of roses - there are thorny issues we have encountered and have overcome them with prayers. These challenges give us a clear vision to coordinate and work with them in the future. Our misison is not a coincident - we believe God's hand is with us. We have faced so many challenges - some which broke our hearts and some we laugh over. But the demand is so huge and so great.

We feel these are the areas which are important now to oversee and think over them: Primary health care; Education in general, especially training of teachers, nurses and agriculture for full sustainability which demands a new technology for farming more than traditional farming in Sudan.

Food security...

Joseph Writes...

The authorities in Northern Bahr El Ghazel are doing their level best to provide food for their citizens. The Government of the state has provided 500 hectares for agricultural farming for returnees in western county as a short and long term solution. Also they bought a good quantity of durah to be sold with a lower price for the local community. This period of the year is the most important time whereby people are busy with farming until the harvest at the end of October. These four months are difficult months and H. E. Governor Paul Malong has put his own staff and ability to serve his people during this time of the year and also he has a vision that in 2010 the state will not be provided food from other states - it will be well sufficient for its own needs and selling extra for other states. We hope his dream will come true in this period of time.

Southern Sudan needs more help from the international community for this period of signing of agreement between North and South in order to stand on its feet after the last 2 decades of civil war in which about 1,000,000 have been displaced internally and others in the neighbouring countries - especially East Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Congo, Central Africa and Ethiopia in the horn of Africa.

The returnees need more food, medicine, shelter and schools whereby WFP is trying its best to address shortages of food for the returnees. But the need is still great which needs involvement of international NGOs in this period of the year.

Darfurian Refugees in Northern Bahr El Ghazel

From Joseph...

Darfur conflict has caused about million refugees to flee their homes and their houses which have been destroyed by the Arab militia who are accused by the international community as ethnic cleansing.

Some 200,000 have also sought refuge in neighboring countries like Chad.
These people have seek refuge in northern Bahr Al Ghazel in places like Awiel East county towns like Waynjok. Others camp along the border about 600 km stretch of the border between Chad and Sudan.

It is a wide area which cannot be helped by international NGOs. These Darfurian refugees need more help in terms of food, for short and long period. This period of the year is a period of farming which is started towards the end of May up to the harvest time in the end of October. (And there is a shortage of food at this time)

They also need, shelter, medication as well as the local community in Awiel. These people which took refuge during the civil war in Northern Bahr El Ghazel now are the ones who are helping their brothers from the Darfur region. They settle among themselves, they receive them as brothers and sisters.

These settlements need help from the government, need help from local communities, the conditions which they have experienced are the same as the Darfurians themselves.

Many Darfurians during the conflict have died of war, diseases, as well as hunger in the last 3 years. Many international humanitarian organizations are trying to solve some of their problems but unfortunately they are denied access to the region by the Sudanese government.

Imagine the situation the Darfurians are experiencing – it is like the southern Sudanese themselves in the last two decades.

Christian leaders are working hand in hand with these refugees inside northern Bahr El Ghazel with his limited resources they have decided to give some medication to these refugees, as well as food. After Steve John Blacket hear this he realized this mission needs help and he put his hand and heart that people in Australia should also put some assistance to the mission among the Darfurian refugees.

The situation needs a long term solution. But the resources are so limited. We need support from our friends in Australia. We have been hearing problems and crisis in Darfur. This is the time we should put our hands together to help these brothers reach our Moslim brothers in Darfur.

The Dinka Mosquito...

I watched Joseph trying to kill a mosquito in our hut the first night we were in Awiel. I was struck by the futility of it. A million more can fly straight in. Later I told him this story…

Joseph, do you see this mosquito? Do you hear what it is saying to you? It is saying “Mawien, I have many brothers and I have many, many relatives. I have 10 brothers who are sons of my mother and I have 100 brothers who are sons of different mothers. My sisters too are very strong. I have 1000 close relatives and 1,000,000 distant relatives. My uncles, they are old. Now they fly so slow. But they are wise and they will bite you. My mother, she says she is weak, but she is strong. And she is a leader. Many mosquitos listen to her words. Mawien, you may kill me. Perhaps you will kill some of my brothers and many of my relatives. But we mosquitos are like the Dinka - you can never beat us."

A message from Joseph...

When we first arrived in Juba on 13 June I was totally surprised as far as the infrastructure had gone in terms of development and the government institutions. The peace that brought in town since I visited Juba in 1981, which is 27 years now, it is a short period of 3 years the government of the South managed to put the basic infrastructure for the new government under the difficulties and pressure for the demands of these people.

We are highly received as people coming back home with a hope we have something to contribute as little as they could expect. We are given comfortable acommodation, well looked after, good food, good sleep, no fear of mosquitos.

We met many young Sudanese coming from overseas countries with a higher education, which is a sign of hope for a better future, because the new nation needs this kind of experience - well trained people.

We tried to visit the Vice President the following day but we missed meeting him. We waited at reception for a few minutes and then brother Steve saw on the table books with the title "Nation in the making". Those books gave us inspiration that there is a movement of development. One day, one time we hope Southern Sudan will be inspiring nation in Africa for the generation to come.

Things have started well for our mission despite the routine of our poeple here in Sudan which is easy to put things off for tomorrow.

On Wednesday 18 (tomorrow) we will be travelling to Awiel where our real mission will start visiting the areas we have located in our plan to visit in Northern Bahr El Ghazel. Steve met one of the COC ministers in Juba town and they shared about the ministry in Awiel and Steve had that feeling of rushing to meet people in Awiel concerning the COC ministry.

The Awiel community in Juba gave us a hand and I hope that things will go well concerning travelling all over. They will help us with transport to visit those areas. You people in Australia, keep praying for Steve to keep him healthy without any health hazzard until we see ourselvs again.

Introducing Joseph Mawien...

Many times someone from the Sudanese community has introduced me to one of their family saying "This is my brother / sister. We have different mothers but the same father." Well I want to introduce you to my brother, Rev Joseph Mawien. We have different mothers. We also have different fathers. But Joseph has become a brother, a friend and very soon my travelling companion and guide in Sudan.

This photo was taken at our commisisoning service with his wife Magdalene and children Godfrey, Pamela, John and Robert.

Joseph is an ordained Anglican Priest, is the minister of the United Sudanese Fellowship, and has lived in Australia for about 4 years now. Joseph is a humble and wise man and a dedicated leader for his community. He is highly respected across the Sudanese community, both in Australia and in South Sudan and this has been demonstrated in the support they are showing Joseph in preparation for our visit. Joseph has strong connections with both church, government and community leaders in Juba and Awiel and it is through Joseph's relationship with these people that we hope to develop a strong ministry relationship between our respective communities.

Please pray for Joseph and his family as we embark on this joint venture.

From the beginning...

In mid 2004 I was approached by some of the leaders of the Sudanese Community in Adelaide asking if Magill Church of Christ would sponsor a refugee family and help them to settle in Adelaide. The church Elders and Board quickly agreed and the congregation got right behind us. In just ten weeks we raised the money, arranged air-fares, rental, schooling etc and welcomed Thiik, Amath (Suzie), Deng, Amath (Nikki) and Adhel Lual into our church family. It was a day I will never forget and marked the beginninng of our relationship with the Sudanese community. In a short time we had several Sudanese families attending as well as linking other families with supportive churches around Adelaide.

A couple of years later Rev Joseph Mawien asked if I would help them establish a Sudanese church. The Salvation Army in Pirie Street were overwhelmingly supportive and generously offered a hall for their use and we met for the first time in July 2006. The United Sudanese Fellowship is an ecumencial congregation - people come from Catholic, Anglican, Pentecostal, Seventh Day Adventist and Church of Christ backgrounds, Joseph is an ordained Anglican Priest, they meet in a Salvation Army hall, and are supported by Churches of Christ.

Before long Joseph and his Elders came to me with another request: "Will Churches of Christ help us support the development of our communities back home in Awiel?" I said yes -and then started the journey of discovering what that would mean.